e. She bids you come
to her.' 'Worse and worse!' said Petruchio; and then he sent his
servant, saying: 'Sirrah, go to your mistress, and tell her I command
her to come to me.' The company had scarcely time to think she would
not obey this summons, when Baptista, all in amaze, exclaimed: 'Now, by
my holidame, here comes Katharine!' and she entered, saying meekly to
Petruchio: 'What is your will, sir, that you send for me?' 'Where is
your sister and Hortensio's wife?' said he. Katharine replied: 'They
sit conferring by the parlour fire.' 'Go, fetch them hither!' said
Petruchio. Away went Katharine without reply to perform her husband's
command. 'Here is a wonder,' said Lucentio, 'if you talk of a wonder.'
'And so it is,' said Hortensio; 'I marvel what it bodes.' 'Marry, peace
it bodes,' said Petruchio, 'and love, and quiet life, and right
supremacy; and, to be short, everything that is sweet and happy.'
Katharine's father, overjoyed to see this reformation in his daughter,
said: 'Now, fair befall thee, son Petruchio! you have won the wager,
and I will add another twenty thousand crowns to her dowry, as if she
were another daughter, for she is changed as if she had never been,'
'Nay,' said Petruchio, 'I will win the wager better yet, and show more
signs of her new-built virtue and obedience.' Katharine now entering
with the two ladies, he continued: 'See where she comes, and brings
your froward wives as prisoners to her womanly persuasion. Katharine,
that cap of yours does not become you; off with that bauble, and throw
it under foot.' Katharine instantly took off her cap, and threw it
down. 'Lord!' said Hortensio's wife, 'may I never have a cause to sigh
till I am brought to such a silly pass!' And Bianca, she too said:
'Fie, what foolish duty call you this?' On this Bianca's husband said
to her: 'I wish your duty were as foolish too! The wisdom of your duty,
fair Bianca, has cost me a hundred crowns since dinner-time.' 'The more
fool you,' said Bianca, 'for laying on my duty.' 'Katharine,' said
Petruchio, 'I charge you tell these headstrong women what duty they owe
their lords and husbands.' And to the wonder of all present, the
reformed shrewish lady spoke as eloquently in praise of the wifelike
duty of obedience, as she had practiced it implicitly in a ready
submission to Petruchio's will. And Katharine once more became famous
in Padua, not as heretofore, as Katharine the Shrew, but as Katharine
the most obedient and du